If you have an orchard, you may now be looking for recipes with currants. In addition to cakes and jams, a cassis liqueur is a good choice.

If you have a garden, you probably cannot save yourself from sweet, round berries at the moment. Black currants, unlike red and white currants, are only now ripe and usually grow by the kilo on the bushes in the garden. Snacking is certainly allowed, but what else do you do with all those berries? We at Einfach Tasty have a quick and above all delicious answer: currant liqueur.

For a homemade liqueur from black currants, you need only three main ingredients:

  • 3 pounds of black currants
  • 1 quart of water
  • 1 lb. sugar
  • vanilla pod (optional)
  • 2 cups of 40 % alcohol (e.g. vodka or grain)

The preparation is quite simple, as long as the currants are already plucked and cleaned:

  • Put washed and de-stemmed currants in a pot with the water and simmer on low heat for about an hour. Then strain through a fine sieve or with a cheesecloth (fine-meshed cloth made of cotton) and squeeze well so that all the juice is squeezed out. For the recipe you need 1500 ml of currant juice.
  • Heat the juice together with sugar and, if desired, the vanilla bean and simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes. Stir occasionally during this process. Allow the resulting currant syrup to cool completely and remove the vanilla bean.
  • Mix with alcohol of choice and pour into sterilized bottles.

Invited to a barbecue and still need a little thank you gift for the host or hostess? Gifts from the kitchen are not only popular with givers and recipients. In addition to the homemade currant liqueur, many are also happy about a tangy limoncello, sweet elderberry syrup for a refreshing Hugo or even an onion jam with balsamic, which goes well with a juicy steak or a grilled cheese.

Delicious recipe ideas with the fruity currant liqueur:

Cassis can not only be enjoyed as a refreshing liqueur, but also used in various delicious recipes. In addition to the classic Kir Royal, in which the liqueur is infused with champagne, there are other ideas for using a homemade currant liqueur in a variety of ways in your own kitchen:

  • Currant liqueur sorbet: mix currant liqueur with lute sugar (water-sugar syrup) and some lemon juice and put it in an ice cream maker until the mixture freezes. Garnish sorbet with a mint leaf and serve.
  • Currant Liqueur Mojito: Place lime wedges, brown sugar and mint leaves in a glass and muddle together. Add cassis and rum, stir well and top with soda water and ice cubes. Cheers!
  • Currant Liqueur Panna Cotta: To make this in a classic panna cotta recipe, replace about a quarter of the cream with currant liqueur and prepare the recipe as directed. Fruity, creamy, delicious!
  • Currant liqueur marinade for grilled meat: Bring liqueur to a boil along with brown sugar, mustard, soy sauce, Worcester sauce and a finely chopped clove of garlic until the liquid thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let cool. Glaze is perfect with red meats such as beef or venison. Brush grilled food with it and fry.